Dead Flowers
by TheCrayon'sMoreThanTheCutlass
Summary: It's Valentine's Day, but Lynda doesn't give a toss. One-shot


**This is set during series 1, probably after How to Make a Killing (Parts 1 **

**and 2)**

Lynda walked angrily down the corridors, glaring at all the banners. It was Valentine's day. She could see couples everywhere, flirting, or worse, kissing. Lynda couldn't be bothered with all of that relationship gaff. As she turned a corner she saw Julie with some boyfriend, was that Frazz? The couple had broken apart.

"Hi boss." said Frazz, looking slightly embarrassed. Julie smirked, and kissed him again. Lynda looked away in disgust. She walked on. She was headed towards the front door. She wasn't staying in school much longer.

Lessons had been cancelled due to all the smooching, and Lynda was fed up. Anyhow, she had way more important things on her mind. Like murders. No-one was watching the door, so she walked out. She had agreed to stay in school all day today, she had promised her mother. Then again, at the time of promising, she had expected lessons, and as she had agreed not only to stay in school all day, but to learn all day, the bargain was no invalid as far as she was concerned. There had been a murder. Not anyone she knew, just a maths teacher from another school, but it was still headline news. No-one was really sure it was a murder, which was what she was going to find out.

She rang the doorbell of the police station. A fresh-faced young man opened it.

"Hello, what can I do for you?" he asked, peering at her suspiciously.

"I have an appointment with Chief Inspector Vosper." she replied. "My name is Lynda Day."

"Very well, if you'll just wait there Miss. I'll go see if the inspector is in."

Lynda sat down on the battered chair she had been offered. She knew that all 'important' people made a habit of being out when their creditors came, but in when their debtors did. Since she was neither, she had no idea of what reaction she would get. But the odds were with her, the fresh-faced man returned, ushering her in.

She found herself in Chief Inspector Vosper's office. There were all the things you would expect in an office, photo of the daughters and the dog, some puzzle or interactive ornament. Some pens scattered on the desk to show that the owner was a normal person, not just a neat freak who cared only about his job and would stoop to tactical desk litter to make a point.

Oh yes, and there was a cadaver. Lynda stared at it. She felt a bit queasy. Normally she was okay with death, but she couldn't stand being right next to a fresh dead body.

"I hope you don't mind me saying sir, but there appears to be a dead body in your office."

"Yes. That is the dead body I told you about. We need your help on something."

"My help?"

"Your help. We know you are a very resourceful newspaper, you have very intelligent people working for you."

_Like who?_ thought Lynda. _Julie? Frazz? Colin? Spike? Danny? I could go on forever. I might do as well, the Inspector's voice is droning on, and on an-_

"Miss Day? Are you listening? You look half asleep." remarked the Inspector.

"Yes. I'm awake. Sorry, what was that you were saying?"

"I was saying that we have reason to believe that this may have been suicide. We would like your paper to run an investigation." Lynda stared at him. No-one had mentioned suicide.

"What evidence suggests that it was suicide?" asked Lynda excitedly.

"Well, we found a tape player beside the body. In it was a tape with a recording on it. It is Mr O'MacSoavedelik's voice. He says that he had too many problems with his life as a Maths Teacher. He says that it is for that reason, and that reason only, that he committed suicide. The tape ends with gunshot."

"And you found this tape player beside the body."

"With the tape in it. All rewound, ready for us to listen to." Lynda looked up from the notebook she had been writing things in.

"Was it a self-rewinding tape player?" asked Lynda.

"No! That was the amazing thing about it. So, will you help is with the inves-"

"Not suicide." said Lynda, picking up her bag and walking out.

"But, but how can you know?" called the inspector after her.

When she got back to school, she had only walked through the door, when Spike came up to her. He was holding a single red rose.

"Hey boss, I thought I'd give you this, what with it being Valentine's day and everything." he handed the rose to her. She looked at it in disgust.

Then she looked at him in disgust.

"Thomson, do you realise what this is?" she glared at him. He shook his head. "This is a dead flower!" She snapped the stem and threw the pieces back at him. She seemed to be smirking a little bit, so she slapped him for good measure, before walking off. Spike turned to Colin.

"I think she likes me."

**I know nothing about tape players, but I was reminded of an old puzzle **

**about a tape player and a suicide, so I thought, why not put it in? I know **

**that there were some mentions of tapes in Press Gang, so I sure hope I've **

**got the right era. The reason this one-shot is set after episodes 7&amp;8 is so **

**that the paper already has a reputation for solving mysteries.**


End file.
